The present invention relates to an edited-list creating apparatus, an editing apparatus and an editing, method, and is appropriately applied to an edited-list creating apparatus, an editing apparatus and an editing method capable of creating a so-called edited list in which the edit content is defined for obtaining a desired edited image and sound, for example, by linking a plurality of pre-registered image and sound materials (hereinafter, referred to as clips) together in a desired state.
Formerly, there has been proposed such an editing apparatus capable of displaying a predetermined GUI (Graphical User Interface) screen, in which a user can create the edited list by using the GUI screen.
In practice, the GUI screen displays identify information such as ID number of each clip pre-registered or titles, and in this state, a desired clip can be selected through the manipulation of a mouse.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 16A, the GUI screen displays first and second tracks 91A and 91C for image, a track 91B for video special-effect, first and second tracks 91D and 91E for sound, along the time axis 90.
On the GUI screen, after a desired clip being selected, a desired position of the track 91A, 91C, 91D or 91E for image or sound is specified through the manipulation of the mouse and thereby, as shown in FIG. 16B, frames 92A to 92D having a length corresponding to the material length of the selected clip are displayed with the specified position as the front end, on the track 91A, 91C, 91D or 91E.
Thus, in such editing apparatus, the aforementioned operation is successively repeated on the GUI screen, and frames 92A to 92D of the desired clips are displayed successively on the first or second track 91A, 91C for image, and the first or second track 91D, 91E for sound so that the frames are continuous with each other on the time axis 90, and thereby an edited list can be created.
However, in such a conventional editing apparatus, if the frame 92A to 92D of the desired clip is displayed on the track 91A, 91C, 91D or 91E, it is hard to previously recognize the length of the frame 92A to 92D. Therefore, since it is difficult to beforehand grasp the relations between the frame 92A to 92D and other frames previously displayed on the track 91A, 91C, 91D or 91E, there was a problem of difficulty in creating an edited list efficiently.
Besides, as such editing apparatus as mentioned above, there have in recent years been those in which the image and the sound of individual clips are linked or unlinked and registered while being linked or unlinked. In the editing apparatus of such a configuration, if the image and the sound of the clips are registered while being linked, the frame 92C or 92D is automatically displayed on the track 91D or 91E for sound corresponding to displaying of the frame 92A or 92B on the track 91A or 91C for image, and if the image and the sound of the clips are registered while being unlinked, the frame 92A to 92D is displayed only on the specified track 91A, 91C, 91D, 91E for image or sound.
Further, in this editing apparatus, when the position of the frame 92A to 92D displayed on the track 91A, 91C, 91D, 91E for image or sound is moved along the time axis 90, moving one frame 92A to 92D displayed on the track 91A, 91C, 91D, 91E for image or sound enables a frame 92A to 92D displayed on the track 91A, 91C, 91D, 91E for image or sound integrally corresponding to the relevant frame to be also moved along the time axis 90, in the case where the image and the sound are linked.
However, in an editing apparatus of such a configuration, when the frame 92A to 92D displayed on the track 91A, 91C, 91D, 91E for image or sound is moved, it is difficult to determine whether the image and the sound of the clip corresponding to the relevant frame are linked or unlinked to be registered. Therefore, there is a problem of difficulty in creating an edited list efficiently.
Further, in the conventional editing apparatus described above, based on the edited list created described above, edited image and sound corresponding to the edited list are produced by controlling a plurality of video tape recorders respectively at predetermined timings to successively play back the corresponding clips and by successively joining these clips together while subjecting them to the special-effect processing if necessary.
Meanwhile, in performing an editing processing of joining two clips together through the special effect processing, such former editing apparatus obtains edited image and sound by allowing one to perform a playback or record processing again after once stopping both the video tape recorder for playback and a video tape recorder for record and accomplishing a cue and rewind operation.
Moreover, the editing apparatus of this type performs a similar operation whenever joining clips together and therefore it has a problem at the time of editing such as joining a plurality of clips together in succession in that so much time is required for the cue and rewind operation of a video tape recorder as not to perform a real time processing, thereby resulting in a significant decrease in the operating efficiency of editing processing.
Moreover, for example, when it is desired to obtain such a special effect as picture-in-picture, the former editing apparatus, in the case where in such a list the edit time of a first clip CL10 and that of a second clip CL11 overlap on the time axis 90 (FIG. 16A) and that of the second clip CL11 is within that of the first clip as shown in FIG. 17A (herein after, referred to as inclusion), is so constructed as to switch the edit processing object from the first clip CL10 to the second clip CL11 and thereafter switch over to the original first clip CL10 again at the stage of completion of edit processing of the second clip CL11.
Consequently, for example, even if an edited list with a plurality of second continuous clips CL11A to CL11D to be edit-processed within the edit period of time for the first clip CL10 is made up as shown in FIG. 17B, since the edit processing object is switched from the first clip CL10 to the second clip CL11A and thereafter it is returned to the original first clip CL10 at the stage of completion of edit processing of the relevant second clip CL11A as designated with the arrow xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d in FIG. 17C, the editing apparatus of this type has a problem of being incapable of executing such an edit as to switch over from one video to another in the filial screen with the one-time edit at the time of a special effect such as picture-in-picture.
Thus, formerly, to obtain such a special effect, the corresponding edited list is so arranged as to be created after the image for the filial screens of picture-in-picture is previously edited and brought into one material, and there is a problem of difficulty in efficiently performing an edit operation.
The present invention is made in consideration of the above points and its object is to propose an edited-list creating apparatus, an editing apparatus and an editing method, capable of markedly improving the operating efficiency in the operation of creating an edited list or the editing operation.
To solve these problems, the present invention provides an edited-list creating apparatus for creating an edited list with the edit content defined in such a manner that a first mark of the length conforming to the material length of a specified image/sound material is displayed at a specified position on the first track by specifying desired positions on a first track provided along the time axis after specifying a desired image/sound material out of a plurality of pre-registered image/sound materials, the edited-list creating apparatus comprising first display control means for displaying the first mark at the position specified on the first track; and second display control means for displaying a second mark of the length conforming to the material length of the specified image/sound material at a corresponding position on said first track till the position at which the above first mark is displayed on the above first track.
As a result, according to the present invention, the display position of the first mark can be determined while easily confirming the display situation of the first mark after the determination based on the second mark visually in determining the display position, and thereby an edited-list creating apparatus capable of markedly improving the operating efficiency in the operation of creating an edited list can be realized.
Besides, the present invention provides an edited-list creating apparatus for creating an edited list with the edit content defined in such a manner that a mark of the length conforming to the material length of the specified image/sound material is displayed at a specified position on the first or second track by specifying a desired position on the first or second track for image or sound provided along the time axis after specifying a desired image/sound material out of a plurality of pre-registered image/sound materials, the edited-list creating apparatus comprising display control means for emphatically displaying the specified mark and a mark displayed on the second or first track corresponding to this when the mark displayed on one of the first and second track is specified, in the case where the video information and the audio information of the image/sound material corresponding to the specified mark are linked and registered.
As a result, according to the present invention, it can be easily judged, based on the emphatic display, whether the video information and the audio information of the image/sound material corresponding to the mark are linked or unlinked to be registered. Thus, an edited-list creating apparatus capable of markedly improving the operating efficiency in the operation of creating an edited list can be realized.
Moreover, the present invention provides an editing apparatus comprising control means for controlling a corresponding playback device to successively play back necessary image and/or sound materials continuously until image and/or sound materials to be played back by the same playback device are needed, in obtaining edited image and/or edited sound.
As a result, according to the present invention, edited image and/or edited sound are obtained in a real time by a playback device until the image and/or sound materials to be played back by the same playback device are needed. Thus, editing apparatus capable of markedly improving the operating efficiency in the editing operation can be realized.
Moreover, the present invention provides an editing method comprising a first step of detecting the presence of edit materials to be played back by means of the same playback device based on the edited list; and a second step of successively playback necessary image and/or sound continuously by a corresponding playback device until image and/or sound materials to be played back by the same playback device are needed, based on the detected result and the edited list.
As a result, according to the present invention, edited image and/or edited sound are obtained in a real time by a playback device until the image and/or sound materials to be played back by the same playback device are needed. Thus, an editing method capable of markedly improving the operating efficiency in the editing operation can be realized.
Moreover, the present invention provides an editing apparatus comprising edited-data creation means for creating edited data in such a manner as to continuously perform edit processing on individual second edit materials starting from the primary second edit material to the last second edit material, when performing the edit processing on a plurality of second continuous edit materials with their processing periods of time being included in that of the first edit material on the time axis.
As a result, according to the present invention, the editing operation can be simplified. Thus, an editing apparatus capable of markedly improving the operating efficiency in the editing operation can be realized.